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Thursday, December 19, 2013

Devon Cafe, Surry Hills

Haven't been blogging as much lately because of work, Christmas and a terribly long birthday hangover. Anyway, I've been wanting to write a review for this cafe for many many months but haven't gotten the chance yet until now. Had I worked closer or had the energy to wake up early on the weekend, I reckon this would be one of those cafes that I would attend on a regular basis.

Devon Cafe is one of the latest in the ongoing series of chefs breaking away from their fine dining roots and moving into casual dining such as cafes, burgers and food court joints. This time, we've got two former Guillaume chefs (one from Bistro Guillaume in Melbourne and the other from Gullaume at Bennelong) at the helm. It's been getting flocks of diners checking it out for brunches over the weekend and with the dishes I've got to experience so far, the hype is definitely worth it.

I do love a smooth, balanced coffee and Devon's is no exception. At $4.50 for a large sized mocha, it's on the more expensive side but it is worth the dollars. I can't recall which coffee blend Devon Cafe uses but earlier reviews mentioned that it uses Coffee Alchemy beans (feel free to correct me on this). It has a balanced amount of froth along with the coffee, milk and chocolate with a somewhat creamy taste. The coffee art is pretty impressive and for some reason, I adore the cute red cup too. The coffee art actually made me not want to drink the coffee at first...almost.

Skim Mocha (S - $4.00, L - $4.50)

The name says it all. Refreshing, fruity, chilled and perfect to have on a hot summer day. Just swirl the contents around and watch the magic happen.

Refresher - watermelon, apple and mint ($7.00)

You know this review has been incredibly delayed when you are reviewing a menu item that has been discontinued since the first day of September. But dammit it was sooo good, it needed a mention. I'm talking about the Ultimate Toastie. Packed with fontina cheese, nicely cooked fried eggs, piles of pine mushrooms and more truffle shavings than you would usually get, the price is actually not bad. Some will say that it's expensive but seriously guys there's truffles!The serving is incredibly massive and rich that I ended up getting food coma for the rest of the day. Perfect as a shared dish. Unfortunately this ended once spring arrived but there had been special seasonal truffle dishes that are suitable for the hotter weather recently such as the truffle carbonara pasta.

Ultimate Toastie ($25.00)

TRUFFLE AND EGG PORNNN!

When you see the Ogre 'Happy Meal' (ox-tongue, hash potatoes, fried egg, cauliflower puree, pickled onion); you can imagine Shrek walking into a Maccas restaurant. Only even better. The ox-tongue had that chewy yet tender texture with a slightly crisp edge. I particularly loved the little crunchy hash potatoes. Wish there was more hash potatoes on this dish as I could easily go for at least12 of them. The plating of all the ingredients gave this lovely dish a colourful and vibrant appearance that is pleasing to the eye and loads of flavour to the taste buds as you take each bite.

Ogre 'Happy Meal' ($21.00)

If there is any dish that describes this cafe perfectly, 'Breakfast with the Sakuma's' (miso grilled king salmon, smoked eel croquette, 63 degree egg, radish petit salad and kewpie mayonnaise) is up there as being one of the most ordered dishes at this joint. Just look at the plating in the photo below. It's no surprise why this is the case. I haven't tried a 63' egg before but omg the ooziness is just incredible. I'm a sucker for anything containing breadcrumbs such as the croquette which is not a good thing for me. The texture of the eel croquette was firm, tasty and perfect to match with the runny egg yolk. With a well-cooked salmon, tangy mayo and fresh, mild and seemingly healthy radish salad, this is certainly the winning dish for me.

Breakfast with the Sakuma's ($24.50)

EGG PORN (Why not?)

Haven't gotten the chance to try the desserts yet but they look dreamyyy. I did order a few macarons in the past which were delivered from the lovely team at MakMak Macarons in Newtown.

Gooey Muffins!

Macarons

Sweeeeeets!

Despite the amount of competition in the Sydney brunch scene these days, you've got to admit that Devon cafe is not your typical Surry Hills/Inner West cafe. The unique and colourful presentation on all of their dishes and even the decor have never ceased to amaze me each time. It's no wonder that it has gotten so much hype since it opened more than 6 months ago. Been satisfied with the coffee and the food during my visits there and would happily return any time soon just to try all the dishes. The service has been wonderful and pleasant and the prices aren't too bad. Ok it is pricier depending on your budget but the serving size does make up for it. With the hot summer weather, I reckon this place would be an ideal to catch up and chill out with friends this season.